WASHINGTON (CNN) - Joining “American Morning” from Council Bluffs, Iowa, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, told CNN's John Roberts Wednesday that he believes he's doing much better in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina than what the polls show.

"We've always had a solid political base and organization in these states," McCain said. "Look, I'm not predicting victory. I'm predicting we will continue to do well because I can out-campaign most anybody and I obviously believe that I can display my qualifications to serve."

McCain spoke in front of his tour bus, emblazoned with the words "No Surrender" – the title of his current weeklong tour through those early states. Today, he campaigns in Council Bluffs, Des Moines, and Waterloo, before heading to New Hampshire tomorrow and South Carolina on Saturday.

Asked about the latest Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll, in which McCain places fourth in the Hawkeye State, McCain said there was much work to be done, but he can gauge his progress by turnout at his events.

"We got a lot of work to do," he said. "These are tough campaigns. I wasn't in Iowa in 2000 so (I've) got a lot of work to do here. But again, it's fun. I can sense when things are going well in a campaign by the turnouts to the town hall meetings. We're doing well, but it's a long struggle."

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Senator McCain needs to retire . . . fast! His questioning of Ambassador Crocker showed him to be a man who is desperate to find any solid ground on which to stand. His big lead up to his "soft partition" question only served to highlight his utter humiliation when Ambassador Crocker set him straight, saying "soft partition" is not in question; the Iraqis want a decentralized federal system as called for in their Constitution.

Bring it on Mcain I just got off the phone with some pretty weathly rep donors and they are still not intrested! most can't wait until January when we all can once and for all get rid of you. I'm sorry freind but this is the reality.

It is a wrong war at wrong place and wrong time. Brave young Americans are dying so Bush and you can tell the world we are winning. What kind of logic is that ??? Wakeup, you have been sent to vietnam for wrong reason. Don't sent others to Iraq for wrong reason. Stop the war. It is the best option for everybody.

I see the republicans and democrats mostly on the same page. We all know we need to get out as soon as possible. But we also all know we have to give the Iraqis a fair chance to get their act together.

I don't see how we can give them more than a year to do that. We can't spend $2 billion a week indefinitely just to prop up a people who don't have the guts to stand up and take advantage of the opportunity we have given them. Welfare for the Iraqi people is not the answer.

$2 billion a week is enough to give us a nice tax break, or to develop alternative energy so we can leave the whole Middle East to their own sad future.

The sooner we stop giving the Islamic radicals a reason to hate us, the sooner they will turn on each other. Leave us out of their internal problems.

No surrender? Will he continue to run long after the GOP nominates someone else? After the election? Will he, I ask myself, continue to run from beyond the grave?
. . . 'cause I'll vote for him if he can do that.

GOP says "chose winning." Well, who is winning? Brave american solders are not, they are dying. Americans are not, they have to foot the $900 billions bill which means $3000 each person, young and old. The only winners are Bush and his oil friends. Do you want to let them win again and you lose again???? Chose the party which will make YOU the winner and stop billing you $3000 per head.

"We have the greatest respect for Gov. Huckabee and respect his desire to elevate the discourse in this campaign. But there are nine people running for the GOP nomination and an arbitrary pairing of just two of them does a disservice to the voters. We will push hard for Lincoln-Douglas style debates once we get into the General Election, when there are only two candidates running."
– Thompson Campaign

I was really disappointed when I read this. I thought it was a pretty neat idea from Huckabee and could have served well to better know the candidates BEFORE we give them the nom. Bummer. Would have been a good chance for the public to get to know Thompson too, becuase I'm not sure too many of us do…

It's funny as you refer to McCain as a "McCfailure." I would hope that someone who has served in the Senate since the 80's, fought for our country and was tortured in the process, and continues to fight on despite campaign and finance troubles is not classified as a "failure."

It's also funny because failure is exactly what the Democrats are suggesting for Iraq. They voted for this war as well, and now their only solution is to withdraw and leave the region in chaos? If anyone has the experience and willpower to turn Iraq into somewhat of a victory it is John McCain.